HARRY HUGHES, Governor

1151

(Senate Bill 507)

AN ACT concerning

Spotlighting Hunting - Prohibition

FOR the purpose of prohibiting at any time the casting of
artificial light from a vehicle on any woods, fields,
orchards, livestock, wild animals or birds, dwellings
or buildings; clarifying language; and providing an
exception to the prohibition under certain
circumstances.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article - Natural Resources
Section 10-410(e)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1974 Volume and 1980 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article - Natural Resources

10-410.

(e) (1) A person, or two or more persons together, may
not hunt or attempt to hunt at nighttime any specie SPECIES
of wild bird or wild quadruped with a light, including the
headlights of any vehicle, and [also between the hours 10
p.m. and dawn] a person, or two or more persons together,
may not cast the rays of any artificial light when the rays
emanate from a vehicle on any woods, fields, orchards,
livestock, wild animals or birds, dwellings or buildings.
The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to the normal
use of headlights of a vehicle travelling on any public or
private road in a normal manner, to any police, emergency or
utility company vehicle using spotlights in the performance
of their duties, or to any farmer or landowner on his own or
leased land using artificial lights to check on HIS LAND,
CROPS, livestock or poultry. However, raccoons, fox, or
opossum may be hunted on foot at nighttime during open
season with the use of a dog and light OR LIGHT, OR BOTH.

(2) EXCEPT IN ANNE ARUNDEL, CALVERT, ALLEGANY,
GARRETT, KENT, CAROLINE, TALBOT, DORCHESTER, QUEEN ANNE'S,
CECIL, AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES, A PERSON MAY CAST THE RAYS
OF AN ARTIFICIAL LIGHT FROM A VEHICLE ON WOODS, FIELDS,
ORCHARDS, LIVESTOCK, WILD ANIMALS OR BIRDS FOR THE SOLE
PURPOSE OF OBSERVING OR PHOTOGRAPHING WILDLIFE FOR 2 HOURS
AFTER SUNSET, BUT IN NO EVENT PAST 10:00 P.M. IF A PERSON
CASTS THE RAYS OF ANY ARTIFICIAL LIGHT UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH
THE PERSON HAS THE BURDEN OF ESTABLISHING THAT HE WAS DOING
SO FOR THE PURPOSES OF OBSERVING OR PHOTOGRAPHING WILDLIFE.